Beautifully Scarred
by JayLah
Summary: Seylin was looking for a place to belong, not an elf bride. Sable didn't want to fall in love, just stay alive. They might find what they weren't looking for in each other. An alternate universe of Close Kin.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This is an alternate universe fic set during Close Kin after Thorn threw Sable out. After that, almost everything else is different, with the exception of a few things. Also, Marak never let Emily out of the kingdom to find her human nature.

**Disclaimer:** The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy and all characters within that work belong to Clare B. Dunkle.

**~Beautifully Scarred~**

**Chapter 1**

Sable maneuvered as best she could through the blinding dawn, feeling her way by grasping at branches and bushes. She had to find the large yew tree before the sun rose completely over the horizon. Though she couldn't see, Sable knew the familiar path so well she found her destination quickly. Usually, the shades of the trees bows were the only protection the scarred woman had from the sun. Thanks to the new elf she had a cloak to curl up in.

Seylin. She thought of the new man warily. He knew so much magic and he had so many belongings and he seemed so kind. Sable naturally felt suspicious of him. He was so unlike any man she had ever known. He was dangerous. She knew it.

"Sable!"

The elf woman froze. Seylin had followed her. Sable listened silently as he continued calling for her, debating whether or not to call back.

She heard him draw closer to her spot. Such a racket he made. He stumbled around in the light, breaking branches and tripping over rocks. The determination in his worried voice made it clear he wasn't giving up until he found what he was looking for. As suspicious of him as she was, Sable couldn't bring herself to let him continue searching in vain.

"Seylin," she called out to him. "You should go back."

"Keep talking," he yelled. "I'll follow your voice."

"No! You shouldn't be out here."

"Neither should you," he said. Seylin stood just a few steps away. "I brought my tent. There aren't any hooks out here, but maybe we can use a spell to keep it up."

Sable sat up and peered at the man from beneath the hood of the cloak. A black silhouette in the shape of the handsome elf towered in front of the brightening day. He struggled blindly to pitch the ten by the tree. Once he erected the cloth shelter, he rolled out a pallet on one side and then laid some of his clothes on the ground as another pallet.

"We can stay in here until the sun goes down," he said, crawling onto the makeshift mat.

Sable gaped in an embarrassed silence for a moment.

"You mean together?" She clutched her cloak tightly around herself with shivering hands. Only married or engaged couples slept in the same tent.

"Well…yes." Seylin sounded flustered as well. "Just for today. I'll stay on my side and you'll stay on yours. You're safe with me, Sable. I promise."

"No." She shook her head fervently. "I'll stay out here."

"Sable, I won't hurt you." When she didn't respond, Seylin sighed. "Fine. You can sleep in the tent. I'll sleep out there."

Sable stared at his dark outline in shock. She didn't understand it. Her instincts told her this strange elf was dangerous or at least brought danger. But he was so kind. Sable wanted to trust him. Unfortunately, trusting men never benefited her in the past. At least she was sure her scarred face would protect her from any unwanted advances.

"We can share the tent," she said. "Just for today."

Sable crawled onto her pallet. They each pulled their cloaks over their faces and settled in.

"Thank you, Seylin," Sable whispered.

"Sleep well," he said.

* * *

Seylin peeked out at the sleeping Sable. His heart ached for her. The young man had never known anyone in a more unfortunate situation. If only he could help her. If only the scarred woman would let him. She always made it such a struggle, not that he blamed her for being distrustful. Living with a thug like Thorn was enough to destroy anyone's faith in kindness.

Sable shivered and whimpered in her sleep. Seylin reached over and tucked the edges of the brown cloak tighter around her.

Not long afterward, Seylin closed his eyes and found himself back in the goblin kingdom, talking to Marak. It felt so good to be home with his friend and mentor, even if it was just a dream. They discussed his travels and the band of primitive elves he discovered. Seylin couldn't tell if it was his own inclination or the guidance of Marak's questions, but they seemed to spend a lot of time talking about the scarred, black haired elf who slept beside him.

"Poor Sable." Seylin shook his head, thinking of all the cruelty and abuse she had to endure. To be the most intelligent and hardest working member of a band of idiotic brutes, and also the most mistreated. How could she stand it?

"Poor Sable?" Marak repeated, studying the young man with his unmatched eyes. "Have you taken a fancy to that one?"

Seylin was taken aback by the blunt question.

"She's really ugly," he said, shifting uncomfortably.

"She probably doesn't have to be," the king insisted.

Seylin continued to squirm uneasily in his seat, thinking of how intelligent and patient Sable was. He thought of the difficult life she led. The sadness in her blue eyes still twisted at his heart. But then he thought of Emily's warm brown eyes full of mischief and he couldn't imagine "taking a fancy" to anyone else.

"Alright, what about the other one?" Marak asked.

"Irina?" Seylin grimaced, thinking of the pretty, but empty headed blonde. He could never fancy her, Emily or no Emily.

"Never mind," the goblin King said, his eyes laughing as he studied the young man. "Things are bound to improve. You're just getting to know them, after all. Maybe they'll grow on you."

Seylin doubted it. Thoughts of Emily sunk him so deep into a depression, he wasn't sure he would ever be able to claw himself out. She and Thaydar must have been for married weeks now.

Just as Seylin was about to ask his mentor about how Emily was doing, he was jerked awake by the sound of screaming.

Instinctively, he put his arms around the shrieking Sable.

"It's alright," he whispered in her ear. "It's alright. You're safe. I won't let anything hurt you."

She quieted and relaxed into his arms. "Oh, Thorn, I was-" Sable's blue eyes widened and darted around taking in her surroundings. Her gaze settled in on Seylin and turned reproachful.

The young man quickly moved away from her, embarrassed at his own boldness.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…" he trailed off, at a loss.

She didn't respond. Sable just watched him, stiff and wary.

The sun was almost completely set, so the pair unhitched the tent and made their way back to camp.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thank for the review Roxy87!

**Chapter 2**

As Seylin and Sable walked through the cave door, Thorn glared at them suspiciously. The other members of the band surveyed them oddly as well.

Sable went straight to work making the evening meal, not acknowledging anyone. She was still too embarrassed at waking up in Seylin's arms. Worse than the stranger holding her was the fact that she thought he was Thorn. Not the hateful man who threw her food on the floor, but the man she was engaged to. The man she had loved so long ago. For a few seconds, she actually thought it was years ago and everything from Laurel's death on had just been a horrible nightmare. Sable couldn't feel more humiliated and ashamed with herself if she tried.

"Seylin, why did you sleep outside with the ugly woman?" Irina asked.

"I didn't think Sable should be outside alone," he said. "It's cold and dangerous out there."

"Oh, she's used to it," Irina said carelessly. "Thorn throws her out because of her screaming all the time. Did you have to sleep in the same tent together? Only married people sleep in the same tent."

"Um..." Seylin looked over at Sable to see if she was as embarrassed as he was. The scarred woman continued working as if she wasn't privy to the conversation.

Willow laughed. "Who would marry the ugly woman?"

"I don't know, I've seen how good Seylin is with animals," Rowan said. "Couldn't be that much different, could it?"

Irina and Willow laughed. Seylin, Sable, and Thorn didn't. The blond man glared at Seylin, uncharacteristically silent.

As usual, Sable was hard at work, trying to light the fire, and pretending not to hear. Seylin watched her struggle to bring life into the dying embers by adding kindling and blowing on the faint sparks. He hated watching her struggle when there was a much easier way.

"You'll be here all night doing it that way," Seylin said, dropping a log onto the charred remains.

He knelt beside her at the hearth and raised his hand to perform the Heating Spell. Then, examining the scarred woman, he stopped.

"Let me teach you a spell for this," Seylin said.

Hurt, Sable looked at him before returning to working on the fire, as the other elves laughed.

Seylin looked around at them all in confusion, not sure why they were laughing.

"Close your eyes and concentrate on the Nameshda constellation," he said.

She studied him warily.

"Just try," he insisted. "Here." He moved behind her to help guide her hands. They were coarse and rough within his soft ones. "Point to the constellation with one hand and get a good connection."

Hesitantly, Sable's hand moved upward in his to point exactly to Nameshda. Seylin had been a little off.

"That's it," the young man said. "Now reach to the Foot Star of the constellation with this hand and toward the hearth with the other."

Sable jumped, drawing closer to him. "My hand tingles."

"That's alright," Seylin assured her. "You should feel the heat move through you on its way to the log."

With her pressed against him so close, he was finding it harder to breathe. With some difficulty, he told her the spell to recite.

Sable said the words and he felt a surge charge through her before exploding into a monstrous flame.

Everyone in the cave gasped and squeezed their eyes shut against the piercing light until it died down. The fire crackled cheerfully now.

Seylin's heart, which beat against Sable's back, sped up ferociously when she looked back at him over her shoulder and smiled. With her blue eyes so bright and her mouth curved up naturally in a smile, the scarred woman was almost pretty.

Seylin couldn't help but smile back. Face growing hot with embarrassment, the reserved man moved away from her.

"That was incredible," he said. "But next time, you should put a little less force into it."

Sable surveyed her work happily through squinting eyes. The fire danced in the hearth with cheerful crackles.

"That was a trick, wasn't it?" Rowan asked, a confused frown on his face. "You just made it seem like the magic came from her, but it was really you who made the fire."

"Course it was a trick," Thorn confirmed. "We all know women can't work magic. That's a good one, Seylin. You had the ugly woman going."

Sable's mouth dropped open and she looked up at Seylin in betrayal.

"No, no, really that was you," Seylin insisted. "You are terribly powerful."

"Oh, yes, she's very powerful," Thorn agreed. "She has the power to make us physically ill with just one look."

Seylin glared coldly at the laughing elves.

"Do it again, Sable." He put the fire out with a wave of his hand. "This time, I'll stay back here so you know you did it on your own. Remember, not so much force this time."

The wary look was back in Sable's eyes, but once again, she lifted her left hand toward Nameshda and her right toward the extinguished log. As soon as the words slipped from her lips, the flame reared up anew, but this time, not as fiercely as before.

"Perfect, Sable," Seylin said proudly. "That's just right. When you get used to working spells, you won't have to reach for the star to make the connection. You'll just connect without even thinking."

The elves around him were astonished into silence.

Willow broke the quiet with, "I want to try."

"No." Thorn glared at Seylin. "That's the ugly woman's job. We don't need to know that spell. Now get to work on our meal you lazy hag! Unless, of course, Seylin has a spell for that too."

None of the others expressed any interest in learning after that.

Sable and Irina prepared the evening meal, which Thorn made sure to hand to each of them personally. He gave Sable the usual scrap of bread, but didn't bother adding much malice to the gesture. Instead, the blond man's gaze frequently fell suspiciously on Seylin with a dangerous glare.

After the meal, the camp leader managed to corner Seylin while he was hitching his tent.

"Remember what I said about the girl," Thorn growled.

Seylin did indeed recall the crude threat the band leader had made about not pursuing an engagement with Irina.

"Well, I didn't think I'd have to worry about you going after the ugly woman, but the same applies to her." Thorn said. "We're not marrying our women to an outsider- not even the hideous one."

There were many things the dark haired man wanted to say. Unfortunately, he was too reserved to completely speak his mind, so he settled for repeating the simple truth he had told the elves when he joined the band.

Seylin folded his arms over his chest. "I'm not looking for a wife."

"You expect me to believe you enjoy butchering deer, sleeping outside in the cold, and teaching magic tricks to ugly women?" Thorn demanded. "You're obviously in a frenzied need for a woman. You're desperate enough to want my- the ugly woman, well you're not going to get her. I don't care how much food you bring back to camp. You got it? If not, your pretty face will soon be as gnarled as hers."

Appalled and astonished, Seylin watched the other man storm off. He wondered how much longer he could stay with these people. Gradually, his eyes were drawn to Sable, who was stitching together some rabbit skins, and he wondered if he could really leave her here.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

From where Sable worked, cleaning the cookware, she heard the accusations and threats Thorn hurled at Seylin. She couldn't possibly be more alarmed if he had accused the new elf of being a goblin.

Of course! Why hadn't she seen it before? Sable thought back on everything that had happened since Seylin came to camp. He always used her real name. He tried to stand up for her when Thorn was being exceptionally cruel, going so far as to follow her into the day. He even slept in the same tent with her! It was all so obvious now.

The man had just lost his woman to goblins and now he needed another to replace her.

Since Thorn had made sure to stake his claim on Irina, Seylin was settling for her. That's why he was so kind! That's why he taught her that spell! He was just trying to get close to her so she might agree to marry him. Then she would die bringing his child into the world.

Well, it simply wouldn't work. Sable wouldn't marry her own fiance. She certainly wouldn't marry this stranger.

Sable tried to distance herself from the newcomer after that. But, every time she bluntly refused his help in some task or snubbed him when he tried to talk with her, Sable always felt an odd pang of guilt. A look of hurt surprise always overtook his handsome features during moments like these. He was too kind to rage at her when she rebuffed him. That made it all the worse. If only Seylin was a brute like Thorn, it would be so much easier to be mean to him.

* * *

"I think I should leave," Seylin said.

He was having another dream of being back home with Marak and talking over his problems. Both the presence of his friend and the surroundings of the dream were so painfully comfortable compared to the squalor and poor company he had in the elf camp. He hated knowing he would soon wake up.

"Already, you've barely gotten to know 'your people,'" Marak said. "Can you abandon them so easily?"

"They don't care if I'm there or not," Seylin replied, unhappily. "And the only intelligent member of this band wants me gone. Maybe it would be best if I listened to her. It's not as if I'm doing them any good anyway. Sable won't let me help her at all."

The goblin King watched the young man's depressed expression turn into the shadow of a grin.

"You should have seen it when Sable did let me help her. I was teaching her a spell," he explained absently. "When she did it, the way she smiled... I almost thought she was beautiful."

Marak gave out a laugh. "I see why that elf bully is so worried."

"No, no, no, I just... admire her," Seylin stammered. "Thorn's accusations and threats are entirely misplaced."

The bicolored eyes of the monarch narrowed. "Threats? Have those elves harmed you?"

Seylin sat up straighter at the deadly seriousness in his king's voice. "No, no, they haven't. Everything is... fine."

Marak continued to study him critically. "Remember what I said before you left. The very second you suffer violent harm at the hands of an elf, all my promises are null. I'm your King and you're my subject. I won't tolerate anyone harming you."

* * *

Sable held her hand over a broken tree branch and performing the heating spell. The wood ignited into flame right away. The scarred woman covered it in snow put the fire out. Taking branches from the pile she collected, Sable performed the spell again and again, delighted each time. She still couldn't believe she could perform magic.

"It's not fair," Willow said behind her.

Sable turned around to see Rowan and Willow dragging a dead doe into camp and tying her feat to a tree. Without hesitation, she rose from her spot and began gutting the animal.

"Why does the ugly woman get to learn new spells?" Willow complained.

Rowan just shrugged and poked his head through the cave door to tell the others about the new kill.

Thorn, Irina, and Seylin came outside.

Sable was startled by the look of sadness in the new elf's black eyes as he examined the dead doe. He looked devastated, as though he was witnessing the loss of something pure and wonderful. She looked down and only saw an ordinary deer that would soon be dinner. The dark haired woman glanced up at him again curiously. When he saw her studying him, Seylin stepped forward and knelt beside her. Turning away from him, she went to work on the animal.

"Do you want me to teach you the Slaughtering Spell?" Seylin asked. "It will make this much easier and cleaner."

The scarred woman slowly turned to look at him, aching to know more magic. Irina looked rather excited too.

"No!" Thorn growled. "We got on fine for years without that spell. We don't need it now."

"But, Thorn-" Irina started.

"I said no, puppy!"

Sable looked up at the furious Thorn to find him glaring at her threateningly. Wordlessly, Sable resumed butchering the doe.

"I'll help." Seylin pulled out his elf knife.

"Since he's butchering now, does that mean I don't have to anymore?" Irina asked.

Thorn didn't answer. He just stomped back into the cave, furious. The look on the blond man's face told Sable she probably wouldn't be eating during the morning meal.

Rowan, Willow, and an ecstatic Irina followed their leader into the cave.

"What are you trying to do?" Sable demanded once they were alone.

Seylin looked back at her in confusion. "I'm only trying to make your lives easier."

Sable looked at him in disbelief. This new elf had lived with them for almost two weeks and he still didn't seem to understand how the camp functioned.

"Thorn doesn't care about making anyone's life easier," she said. "It's like I said the other night, he likes our life the way it is. He's the best at everything and he's in control of everyone."

"Do you like your life the way it is?" he asked.

Sable's hands froze in place over the steaming carcass. No one ever asked her what she liked or disliked. No one cared. Did Sable like working tirelessly only to be fed scraps and be insulted? No. But at least she was alive. At least she was free to look at the stars.

"My life could be worse." She resumed cutting into the animal. "I could be captured by goblins and die giving birth to a monster in a dripping, starless cave."

A long silence followed where Seylin watched her, a confused expression on his handsome, dark features.

"Why did you ask me about goblins the other day?" he asked.

Sable remembered Thorn's outburst when she questioned Seylin about goblins. She shuddered anew over his wish that she be taken by them. But the truth was, as leader of the camp, Tho9rn should be the one asked these types of questions. As helpful and well intentioned as Seylin seemed, he obviously wasn't telling the truth. He knew about goblins and he brought danger. Sable could feel it in equal measure with the wind brushing her skin and the wooden handle of the knife in her hand. This stranger was trouble.

"That's what happened to the woman you loved," she told him. "You lost her to a goblin. Your band was doing well, and then the goblins came. It's the only thing that makes sense."

The mysterious elf's mouth dropped open in surprise, confirming Sable's suspicions.

"You need to leave," Sable begged. "You must have seen the goblins, but you don't know what they're like. They'll follow you and find us. They'll capture Irina and me, and we'll die down there with them. They use elf women to make monsters. They- they breed them to monsters to make more. I'm sorry about the woman you loved- what a horrible way to die. But you can't stay. You'll bring goblins and you just don't belong here."

Seylin bowed his head toward the cold snow. "I don't seem to belong anywhere anymore."

A surge of compassion poured through Sable as she watched the lonely elf. To lose your entire band, your entire way of life, and then be rejected by an inferior band like theirs. How awful! She knew the pain of losing loved ones and watching the slow death of her own band. But nothing she had ever been through could be as bad as loosing a fiance and an entire band, as Seylin must have.

She was finished with the butchering. Seylin emptied the bloody tub of guts while she carried the meat into the shed. They burned the bones together with the spell he taught her.

"I'm sorry," Sable said, "about your woman, your band... about everything. You're so kind. I wish you could stay."

"I can," he said. "And I will teach you all sorts of things like- like how to write. You said you'd wanted to. Remember?"

"Writing isn't for women," Sable said automatically, reciting the words her father told her years ago when she asked to learn..

"Writing is for everyone," Seylin said. "So is reading. I can teach you."

Sable stared into Seylin's black eyes. Somehow this strange man had found her weakness. As much as she wanted to learn magic, she could do without it. But to learn to read and write like her father... to be able to read the words of her ancestors...

"When do we start?" Sable asked.


End file.
